PS -- New Fandom!

It's official. I have a new fandom to add to my long list of fandoms.

What fandom might this be, you ask?

Why it's good ol' "Perfect Strangers", the 8-season-long comedy that aired from 1986 to 1993. It starred Mark Linn-Baker as Larry Appleton and Bronson Pinchot as Balki Bartokomous.

I remember watching it when it was still airing as part of TGIF (man, I miss all those shows!). But, since I haven't watched it over 15 years, my memory only consisted of Bronson's adorable accent, Mark's unruly hair, and lots of physical comedy.

Well, someone mentioned PS in a thread on TrekBBS concerning episodes of comedies that were sad... The mention of PS intrigued me, especially after someone mentioned that AOL was featuring episodes for free on their website.

I ventured over to AOL the other day and sure enough, there are over 30 episodes of PS available for free viewing.

So, what'd I do? Yup, that's right... Yesterday, I finished watching ALL of the episodes they have available.

But of course, that's not nearly enough to make it onto my official fandom list. I have to do more than just watch a show to make it a major fandom for me.

Well, over the past couple days, I've more than done enough to make this an official fandom. I've found the main fansite for the show and read through almost the whole thing. I've tried to find fanfiction on FF.net (no luck), and have read all the fanfic up on the fansite (called PS I Love You!; great website title). I went through all the photos on PS I Love You! and saved my favorites. I've even searched for and watched anything on YouTube that comes up concerning PS.

A fandom for me is official when I have to create a specific folder on my hard drive for saving photos and videos....

So, it's official: my newest fandom is Perfect Strangers, and I'm just getting started!

Oh, and that also brings into my list a possible new actor, Bronson Pinchot.

Although my first experience watching Bronson was on PS, by the time I saw him in something again, it was several years later. It was in '99, and I was watching The Langoliers on TV... He'd filled out (a LOT), he'd cut his hair (*pouts*), and he was playing a character FAAAAR different from Balki. So, I didn't even remotely make the connection between this really nasty, creepy character on Langoliers and the lovable Balki from PS.

In fact, it was just recently that I made the connection. Which has me in a dilemma.

I've only ever seen Bronson in Beverly Hills Cop (I & III), The Langoliers, and Perfect Strangers.

Well, since what I thought was my intro to Bronson was Langoliers, I've always been very, very creeped out whenever someone mentions him.

But, Balki is SOOOO awesome and cute and just awesome. And Bronson obviously is a really great actor, to make me have such opposite reactions to two very different characters.

So, I think I'll be adding Bronson to my actor list, though I might specify it as "young" Pinchot, 'cause the older Pinchot still kinda creeps me out.

That's strange, too, 'cause typically my favorite actors tend to appeal to me more (in terms of looks) the older they get. While Johnny Depp was a really cutie in 21 Jump Street, I just find him oh so much more sexy currently. Hugh Laurie was really adorable in his early career, but now I just find him so much more appealing.

Maybe it's that I tend to be attracted to guys who, if they were originally of a thinner frame, have maintained their stature as they get older.... I do tend to fall for the "thinner", lankier types.

"Young" Pinchot was tall, thin, and had a great head of hair. Now... well, he just doesn't do anything for me. I think it's the accent, too; his regular voice sometimes grates on me, but Balki's accent is just so endearing.

So.... yeah, in a first in a lifetime move, I will be adding a new favorite actor, but with the stipulation that I liked him most in his early career (when usually it's the later careers I get most interested in).

Alright... that's enough rambling for today.

'Til Next Post,

~ "Becky" Joy Helvie ~